20 



PHEASANTS FOB, COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



hybrid appearance whatever ; " and Mr. Shaw stated that he 

 weighed, it several times. Moreover^ he said, "the bird, had 

 it been picked up when shot, would, I have little doubt, have 

 weighed six pounds, there being nothing in its craw but two 

 single, grains of Indian corn ; and when the length of time it 

 remained wounded on the ground, with a broken thigh and 

 wing, is taken into consideration, there can be little doubt of 

 the fact." But the largest on record was described in 

 vol. xlvi., p. 179, of The Field. G. 0. G. writes: "I have 

 received the following from Mr. Kelly in consequence of a 

 discussion in The Field about the weight of a pheasant: 

 ' Some few years since, while Admiral Sir Houston Stewart 

 was residing at Ganton, he sent me a pheasant that weighed 

 61b. wanting loz. He was an old bird, and the most splendid 

 in form and plumage that I ever beheld. A few days after- 

 wards being at Ganton, I told Sir Houston that I had 

 weighed the bird, but I thought my weights must be 

 incorrect, and asked him whether he knew its weight. He 

 said, " You are quite right. I weighed it before I sent it to 

 you, and that is my weight." ' " In these cases of exception- 

 ally large birds, it is usually found that the extreme weight is 

 owing to the fattening influence of the maize on which they 

 have been fed. 



COCK PHEASANT DISPLAYING ITS PLUMAGE. 



